World

ByCompiled from wire service reports by Robert Kilborn and Kristen Broman-WorthingtonJune 4, 2003

President Bush and Arab leaders, meeting in advance of his summit with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers Wednesday, appeared to measure the results of their talks differently. Bush hailed "progress on a broad agenda," citing especially the Arabs' pledge to help crack down on terrorism. But Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, speaking for the others, mentioned few specifics on what they were willing to do to advance the cause of peace. He also didn't indicate strong support for Mahmoud Abbas - as opposed to Yasser Arafat - as the leader of the Palestinians. And he withheld mention of Arab willingness to recognize Israel's right to exist - a central point in the peace plan. Bush, Abbas, and Israeli leader Ariel Sharon are to gather Wednesday in Aqaba, Jordan.

Democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who hasn't been seen in public since her arrest last Friday, is safe and well, the ruling junta in Myanmar (Burma) said. But it refused to say where or for how long the Nobel Peace Prize-winner is being held or whether she'll be permitted to meet with special UN envoy Razali Ismail, who is due there Friday. A junta spokesman disputed rumors that Suu Kyi was hurt in a clash between her supporters and groups loyal to the government that killed four people, injured 50 others, and led to her detention.

A new wave of strikes snarled transportation across France as public-sector workers again registered their anger at the planned reform of the government's pension system. The stoppage, the second in less than a month, halted most train and bus service and grounded 80 percent of flights, potentially stranding some participants heading home from the Group of Eight summit at Évian.

The opposition leader arrested Monday for organizing this week's antigovernment protest in Zimbabwe was freed, but a new order was being sought in the courts that would ban him from "inciting the public to engage in unlawful activities and demonstrations." Morgan Tsvangirai said violence directed against protesters by police would not deter them from demonstrating that "they are fed up with the state of affairs in this country."

A new delay was ordered in the appeal of the death-by-stoning sentence against a Nigerian convicted of bearing a child out of wedlock. The postponement until Aug. 27 by the Islamic law court in Amina Lawal's home state means that her appeal will have dragged on for more than a year since she was ordered to be executed. It was to have been decided in March but was rescheduled to Tuesday to keep it from becoming an issue in Nigeria's presidential election.